The Last of Us single-player DLC stars a new character, out December or January

Naughty Dog has announced the release schedule for the long-awaited The Last of Us downloadable content.

Writing on the PlayStation Blog, community manager Eric Monacelli described the promised single-player DLC as "an ambitious story with strong ties into the narrative" of The Last of Us.

The developer has just finished a casting process for a new character, and performance capture will begin next week. Naughty Dog expects the single-player DLC to release in December 2013 or January 2014. In teasing the DLC Naughty Dog released concept art, below.

Meanwhile, Monacelli confirmed the first of three Season Pass DLC drops: the Abandoned Territories Map Pack. This includes the Suburbs map, which features a dynamic dust storm; the Bus Depot map, which has wild giraffes in the background; the Hometown map, which emphasises stealth; and the Bookstore map, which revolves around vertical gameplay. These maps will be released on 15th October in North America and 16th October in Europe.

The single-player content is the second DLC drop. The third is multiplayer focused and due out in the first half of 2014.

Naughty Dog is adding bonus items to the Season Pass "to make the wait a little bit easier". "We have over 60 different head items for your multiplayer character ranging from a Nightmare Mask to a Pigskin Hat that will be free for all Season Pass buyers," Monacelli revealed. "These head items will be available a la carte as well, but it's a tremendous added value for all Season Pass holders."